Giraffe Manor is a property that I have known about for years, but never dreamed I would have the chance to stay at. This spectacular boutique hotel on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya is everything I could dream of in a hotel. Beautifully decorated interiors? Check. An incredible outdoor space? Check. Delicious meals and drinks onsite? Check. Giraffes?!? Check! Check! Check!
If you haven’t heard of Giraffe Manor, you might have seen pictures. This hotel is known worldwide for giving guests that opportunity to have breakfast with the Rothschild giraffes who live in the next-door Giraffe Center. Photos splashed all over Instagram of giraffes sticking their heads through the windows of the breakfast room made this hotel famous, and when I first saw photos of this place several years ago, it immediately went on my bucket list.
Then I looked at the nightly rates…
While not outrageous in the world of luxury safaris, when I saw that a one-night stay in Giraffe Manor will set you back around $800 per person, I gave up all hopes of ever staying there. I don’t mind splurging on travel, but $1600 for one night in a hotel, no matter how cool it is, was beyond what I ever thought I would be prepared to do. Another potential problem was that Giraffe Manor often books up over a year in advance. This is a small property with only twelve rooms, meaning it is often not possible to reserve a room even if you are prepared to pay for it. Ben and I never plan trips this far in advance, so it seemed unlikely we would ever have the chance to stay here. But then, a couple of pieces fell into place that ended with a glorious email in my inbox: “Your stay at Giraffe Manor is confirmed.”
The first piece was kind of a nasty one: the Covid-19 pandemic. Ben and I planned our trip to Kenya in February of 2021, when the pandemic was very much still limiting travel. Social distancing protocols and testing requirements meant Ben and I felt safe to travel at this time, but we were definitely in the minority. This meant that there was actually a room available at Giraffe Manor even though we were only booking about two months before the trip.
The second piece was that Ben’s grandfather gave us a very generous Christmas gift. For the past several years, his granddad has taken the whole family on incredible vacations over Thanksgiving. Since there was no Anthony family trip in 2020, he gave us a generous check instead. The whole point of the Anthony family trips is that his granddad wants to spend his money making memories with the family. He wanted to give his family once-in-a-lifetime experiences together. (Which, how awesome is that!) So, Ben and I decided to use our Christmas gift to do something we never would have done with our own money. And that was staying at Giraffe Manor. Thanks Granddad!
Checking In
We stayed at Giraffe Manor for one night after concluding our safari in the Maasai Mara area with Basecamp Explorers. We had a mid-morning flight from the Mara back to Nairobi, where a driver from Giraffe Manor was waiting to pick us up. Driving through the giraffe-decorated gates and seeing the beautiful manor house was everything I hoped it would be, and we hadn’t even seen any giraffes yet! We were warmly welcomed with a drink, then given a tour of the property.
Giraffe Manor is a historic manor house built in a British style dating back to the 1930s. In the 1970s, the manor was converted into a sanctuary for breeding highly endangered Rothschild giraffes. It was later turned into a boutique hotel, currently operated as part of the Safari Collection group of lodges. The hotel continues to actively participate and support the breeding program, and has seen incredible results.
The interior of the manor house is stunning. I kind of want to model my living room on their lounge area, which features a spectacular fireplace, cozy furniture, and lots of thoughtful details. This room opens into the famous breakfast room, where tall windows are perfect giraffe height.
The bedrooms are upstairs in the manor house and are named for giraffes who have lived there. We stayed in Betty’s room, which was gorgeous, surprisingly spacious, had a super cool art-deco style bathroom, and best of all, had a balcony where we could feed the giraffes in the morning!
We got all settled into our room just in time to head downstairs for lunch in the patio area. All meals and drinks are included in your room rate, and the food was amazing! Our lunch was three courses, all of which were delightful. And even the plates had giraffes on them!
During the day, the resident giraffes spend their time at the Giraffe Center, but we could still see them from our balcony. There was a baby giraffe that was only eight days old we could see walking with its mother! And there were lots of others besides, many of whom we would know by name by the end of our one-night stay.
We had a couple of hours after lunch to enjoy the beautiful property. Ben and I visited the gift shop, then sat on our balcony, from which we could watch the giraffes in the distance. In what felt like no time at all, it was time to head back downstairs for afternoon tea with the giraffes.
Afternoon Tea
While lovely tea and treats were set out for us guests to enjoy, the manor employees brought out dishes full of giraffe treats for our new friends. The giraffes came hustling over to the manor at the sound of the treats being shaken in the dishes, and we had two lovely, if all too short, hours to feed and interact with the giraffes. It was pure magic. I was absolutely giddy giving treats and kisses to the giraffes, who were all so friendly and had quite distinct personalities. Some were even a little mischievous trying to get snacks. It was a ton of fun!
When tea time was over (and it was over much too quickly), we got ready for dinner. Normally, we would have had dinner outside in the courtyard, but there was a possibility of rain on the evening of our stay, so instead, we ate dinner in the dining room of the Garden Manor, the building at Giraffe Manor that is reserved only for guests staying at one of the Safari Collection’s other properties. It was nice to be able to see both buildings, although they are nearly identical. Our dinner was lovely and very romantic. We enjoyed a three-course dinner by candlelight, which was absolutely delightful! While the main reason to stay at Giraffe Manor is obviously the giraffes, this property offers so much more, and the dining experience is definitely exceptional.
After dinner, we went to bed early so we would be ready to get up at the crack of dawn for the ultimate Giraffe Manor experience: breakfast with the giraffes!
Breakfast With Giraffes
Before the sun had even risen, we could see the giraffes making their way towards the manor house. We had been given a little bucket of giraffe treats and told to open our window first thing in the morning, and that Ed, the largest giraffe and only male on the property, would come stick his head through our window on the second story for some snacks. Sure enough, Ed came and found us, and we spent some time feeding him and other giraffes from our window and from our balcony.
Soon after, we rushed downstairs where the giraffes had gathered around the breakfast room. The staff at Giraffe Manor had set up a few different areas to take pictures with the giraffes, and were readily available to help us capture this special moment. We fed the giraffes treats and took pictures with them in the breakfast room and outside in the courtyard. The experience was over far too soon, and once the giraffes had eaten their breakfast, we sat down to enjoy ours.
Once we had eaten and said goodbye to the giraffes, it was time to pack up our stuff and head to our next destination. It had been one of the most memorable 24 hours of my life!
Altogether, Giraffe Manor was an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experience. There is no question that this is an expensive place to stay, but it was absolutely worth it. I was smiling from the second I stepped foot on the property, and while the true star of the stay is obviously interacting with the giraffes, this property also stands out for the incredible staff, delicious food, and beautiful décor. It is truly an amazing place, and I very much hope to return someday.
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